Obituaries : Lyman Brewer; Pioneer in Chest Surgery
Dr. Lyman A. Brewer III, who pioneered the development of chest surgery, has died in Los Angeles after a long illness. He was 80.
A South Pasadena resident who practiced in Los Angeles for more than 40 years, Brewer--who died Saturday--was one of the first specialists in thoracic surgery, which was developed during World War II.
During the 1940s, he invented techniques and medical equipment, including the respirator, that were major breakthroughs in trauma medicine. These developments first benefited wounded soldiers but eventually were employed in intensive-care units all over the world.
Brewer was a founding member of the American Board of Thoracic Surgery and was one of the first full-time thoracic surgeons in the West.
He was instrumental in developing teaching disciplines in his specialty and was a full professor at three medical schools--Loma Linda University, USC and UC Irvine.
Brewer was born July 28, 1907, in Toledo, Ohio. He attended Amherst College and the University of Michigan Medical School.
During service with the Army Medical Corps between 1942 and 1945, he first performed investigative work in the management of chest and lung injuries. His observations were adopted by the U.S. military in 1944 as standard management of chest wounds.
After returning to civilian life in 1946, Brewer worked with V. Ray Bennett at the Los Angeles County Hospital to develop the first Bennett ventilator to treat pulmonary edema-fluid in the lung, and respiratory insufficiency, or lung failure. That machine was the forerunner of the volume- and pressure-regulated ventilator, a special kind of respirator widely used today.
The author of more than 100 articles in his field, Brewer was the recipient of many honors as well as past president of both the American Assn. for Thoracic Surgery and the Society of Thoracic Surgeons.
In 1978, the surgeon was appointed a distinguished physician of the U.S. Veterans Administration.
He established the Brewer Medical Foundation in 1966 to further teaching and research in areas where government and private agencies have not provided support.
In 1975, a former student established the Lyman A. Brewer III International Surgical Society as a tribute. The society holds annual conferences to further knowledge in the cardiac and thoracic field.
Brewer is survived by his wife, Jane; a sister, three sons and four grandchildren.
Private funeral services were held Wednesday.
A memorial service will be held at 4 p.m. July 10 at the Calvary Presbyterian Church, 1050 Fremont Ave., South Pasadena. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that contributions be made to Friends of the Los Angeles County Medical Assn. Library, 634 S. Westlake Ave., Los Angeles 90057.
